It is said that the U.S. Army's primary recruiting target is men aged 18-24. Now where would you go to reach massive amounts of that particular group in one place? Well, the logical spot would be where they spend the majority of their time. In the world of social media.The latest edition of the Army's recruitment campaign, dubbed 'Army Strong,' is strongly rooted in social media and aims to pull-in potential recruits by engaging them in real conversations with active service people.
One central component of the campaign uses video content to connect these "would-be soldiers" to real soldiers working in the field. Current enlisted members can post snippets that encompass who they are, why they chose to be in the Army, their daily routines and they can even answer questions posted by potential recruits.
My Family Inspired Me: Catharina Palmer Army Strong Stories
"Participants will be able to view soldier stories and post questions to soldiers in the field," Bruce Jasurda, chief marketing officer for U.S. Army Accessions Command, explained in a press release. "There is no better way to learn about the opportunities, education and leadership training that the Army provides than hearing it straight from those who already wear the uniform."
The 'Army Strong' campaign also makes use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube to reach potential new recruits, although I don't see site administrators engaging in a whole lot of real conversations. - Most of these traditional social media sites seem to act as another billboard for the Army's messaging, with various inspirational or go-gettem quotes interspersed.
I never realized the military used social media in recruitment at such levels. One of my initial reactions questioned the seemingly gruff (and sometimes stodgy) organization's ability to successfully use an often light-hearted medium. - Those thoughts were quickly ushered aside when I found the below videos that attempt to interject game show-like humor to interviews with service members.
The campaign even made use of traditional media like the film industry by enacting its first sponsorship deal with the feature-length movie “X-Men: First Class.” Exclusive film content was available at the Army Strong Facebook page before the film's release date.
“We’re working hard to increase our social media,” Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commanding general of both the Army Accessions Command, said in a recent New York Times article. "We fully recognize that young people TiVo over commercials or are multitasking on their smartphones when the commercials come on.”
And now we go to Chris for the bad:
Besides making out with girls, What’s the one thing that mostly all teenage boys love to do?..........PLAY VIDEO GAMES!!! The saying goes, to get to a man’s heart you need food, and to get to a boy’s heart, all you need is a video game. Now what if I told you that the military was using video games to brainwash, deceive and manipulate teens into joining the army. It would make you sick to your stomach right??? Well prepare to vomit. The Army is rebranding itself for a new generation in the digital era. Throughout 2009 the military began aggressively expanding its marketing campaign to target teenagers. Efforts include the release of the taxpayer sponsored video game "America’s Army" and a unique 14,500-sq.-ft. arcade or “Army Experience Center” that is filled with simulators and shooter video games. Allow me to briefly elaborate/describe both of these manipulative and misleading recruiting tools.
“America’s Army”:
The Department of Defense created and manufactured a free, downloadable video game to begin “recruiting” children as soon as they are capable to click a mouse or hold a remote control. America’s Army is an online, multiplayer video game that military recruiters believe will bait teenagers into Army culture, hoping both to educate them about the military and to ignite interest in volunteering to serve. The video game is available and free to anyone with an internet connection. In addition, it is disseminated by Army recruiters, and is bundled for free in video game magazines. The game provides players a sense of what it is like to join the Army, how to use weapons and then how to work together on missions. Players progress through the game and its many updates in multiple ways, learning how to jointly accomplish military tasks while using different skills, such as fighting enemies or saving lives as a medic. "We want kids to come into the Army and feel like they've already been there," said Col. Casey Wardynski, who as director of the Army's office of economic and manpower analysis came up with the idea. "A game is like a team effort, and the Army is very much a team effort. By playing an online, multiplayer game, you can get the feel of being in the Army" he stated. According to information provided to journalists at Gamespot.com via the Freedom of Information Act, as of 2009 the DoD has spent over 32 million dollars developing this recruiting tool.
“Army Experience Center”:
In August 2008, The Army opened the Army Experience Center, a one-of-a-kind, 14,500-square-foot virtual educational facility in Philadelphia’s Franklin Mills Mall (located near a popular entertainment facility and an indoor skate park). The center included nearly 80 video-gaming stations (with military video games galore), a replica command-and-control center, conference rooms, and Black Hawk helicopter and Humvee combat simulators. Visitors engage in mock military missions in full-size humvees and two massive helicopters equipped with Disney-grade simulators. The facility maintained touch-screen computers that detailed Army job opportunities, salaries, educational benefits, and base locations around the world. Recruiters are stationed throughout the center and are instructed to chat and answer questions but not to make hard sells on joining the army. In addition, the center is free to all participants and is only accessible to kids 13 years old and up. Brian Lepley, a spokesman for the Army Accessions Command, headquarters for Army recruiting stated "The biggest part of this was using the technology. Recruiters have used tricolor brochures, but that doesn't work with the digital generation. We have to keep up with the way people get their information." Despite hosting approximately 40,000 visitors and enlisting 236 recruits, the Army has always claimed that the facility is not a recruitment center.I would like for you to ask yourself – Are these “games” appropriate for children or recruitment-age adults??? How low will we go to recruit and enlist soldiers into the military? When did deception and manipulation become acceptable recruiting mechanisms? Children depend on us to defend them, but it appears that the Military is swindling them into defending us. While utilizing video games may be a good recruitment tool for the military, it is important to note that war is not a game and that death has no reset button.
I am concerned the military is using the wrong materials to create a sense of pride for joining the armed forces. It seems these "games" and recruitment techniques are targeted for those young people who may already want to join the military. Those kids coming from military families perhaps. That is just a thought.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, Jessica, the military can come off somewhat "stodgy or gruff" and this is a way to not appear that way. Although it is misleading to those with that assumption, I can only assume some military people factually enjoy their time serving perhaps feel fine about these type of recruitment tactics. It is hard for me to say, I find glorifying combat disconcerting. I do applaud the military for at least trying to appeal to younger generations. There needs to be an adjustment in opinion that is for sure, and man, they have been taking a beating lately (don't ask, don't tell). I hope they realize that there are different techniques to recruit through social media rather than making it look like a video game . We want to recruit those serious about protecting the country and those not treating it as though it were a game as you said.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post on the good aspects of Military recruitment via social media and reflecting on my own research regarding negative recruiting methods, it’s clear that new media has truly revamped the army’s enlisting efforts. Social media has redefined what we do, how we spend our time and most importantly, how we communicate. The military has obviously noticed this paradigm change and has decided to allocate resources to capitalize on it. Some may call it smart marketing and others may call it wrong, regardless of your personal feelings about their method, it is very effective. I personally have no problem with the military using social media to communicate however; I do take issue on the way that they utilize video games to manipulate children into joining. Unfortunately, given their age these kids are not mature enough to see the subliminal messages that these army themed video games and centers send. Despite the various barriers that social media has broken, we as a Nation must decide at some point where to draw the line on how it can be used to recruit kids to serve our country. I can’t blame the Military for adjusting its recruitment efforts to adapt to the digital era but I just hope that they will keep ethical and common sense standards when developing these marketing/advertising plans. After all, regardless of what new media based marketing outreach (or schemes) is implemented, the will and desire to serve should come from within and not from a media outlet.
I have a few thoughts in relation to these methods.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, it seems only natural that the military would turn to social media as a recruitment tool. With how engaged our society has become with new media tools, they can be utilized to reach a wide variety of people and in an easy way. In addition, I think that the use of personal soldier videos telling their story is a good selling method. Depending on the story, it can be on of those stories that makes you say, "I want to be that person. I want to do what he/she does." Social media can be a great tool, it all comes down to how the military chooses to use it.
My other thought has to do with the video games. The use of such video games seems to be both good and bad. For one, it further promotes the military and gives the player the sense not only of being a part of the military already, but also an "insight" into what the military does.
On the other hand, the video games send the wrong message, especially to children, who in my opinion are too young to be recruited. Children would, like you said, look at the military as more of a game, and that is not what our country needs.